Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell
Chapter 44 The Witchcraft
She drew quite a few stares, more so than usual, but she shrugged it off. There wasn’t much that she could do about it but hope that the furor died down.
She had spoken the truth and it remained to be seen how her father would deal with it.
As the office door closed behind her and she shrugged her jacket off, she noticed a neatly wrapped parcel on her desk, wrapped as if it were a gift.
There was no card or anything attached to the boxes so she had no idea where they had appeared from.
Ann sat slowly and stared at them for a long time before Maeve’s taunting became too much and she leaned forward with a sigh and opened the first box.
She gasped as the light reflected brilliantly off the beautiful stones set among the designs and suddenly felt her eyes fill with tears.
The boxes held the jewelry that had been handed over to her step-sister last night, as well as the pieces that her mother had worn when she was Luna Queen.
Ann sobbed emotionally as she held the pieces in her hands and a wave of grief washed over her. This was all she had left of both her mother and grandmother.
Just then, her office phone rang and she quickly composed herself before answering.
“Ann?”
She froze as she recognized her father’s heavy voice and her breath caught in her chest.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry. I should never have handed those over to Ada. It was wrong. Those are yours by right and just because my wife desires me to do something, it doesn’t mean that I should.”
A short silence passed between them as he exhaled heavily.
“I’m sorry, Ann. I don’t expect you to forgive me, just… know that I love you and I’m sorry.”
“Thank you,” Ann said coldly, before hanging up and staring blankly at the wall in front of her.
‘Self-righteous prick. It’s about time he stood up for us and did what’s right.’?Maeve snarled as she nodded weakly.
It was. She didn’t expect anything else to change, but the fact that she had the heirlooms of her mother and grandmother meant more than she would ever be able to express in words.
It was definitely a step in the right direction.
‘Maeve, I was wondering… what does my father’s wolf think about his behavior?’ Ann asked.
‘What? Why are you asking me this now?’?Maeve grumbled.
‘Well, with Brad, his wolf didn’t agree with his actions at all. He was furious… I wondered if my father’s wolf was the same.’
Maeve snorted.
‘Listen, the day that he started spending more time with Narcissa was the day his wolf stopped talking. I tried for years, Ann, YEARS to get his attention, but nothing. He ignored me entirely. So f*uc*k him. I don’t give a sh*t what he thinks.’?Maeve growled angrily.
Ann frowned as things started to connect together in her head. This couldn’t just be a coincidence, could it? ‘What are you thinking?’?Maeve asked warily.
‘Just, think about it for a second. When we lived with them, you were quiet. I barely heard from you at all, other than when we were out of the house.’
‘I was tired…’?Maeve said defensively.
‘Okay, but my father… you aid you couldn’t reach his wolf at all, yes?’ Ann asked.
‘Right… but that’s because he’s an arrogant arsehole.’? Mave grumbled reluctantly.
‘What if it’s not though?’?Ann mused thoughtfully. ‘Brad claims that he doesn’t remember that night at all and you claim that you don’t know what happened last night.’
‘I’m not claiming anything. I’m telling you how it was,’? Maeve snapped. ‘I think you’re reading into this too much.’ ‘But, what if I’m not? What if, somehow, they’re the cause of it?’
Maeve snorted.
‘Sure, we were living with a werewolf whisperer and possibly a werewolf seductress… don’t be stupid, Ann.’ ‘It’s not stupid, Maeve! If witchcraft and daemon magicks can fake a mate bond and mark, what else can it do? Perhaps…’?Ann chewed her cheek thoughtfully.
She didn’t care that Maeve thought she was reaching. In her mind, all of these coincidences were too similar and too close to home to not be related.
‘Say you’re right…’ Maeve said hesitantly, ‘What then?’ ‘What do you mean?’
‘Regardless of the fact that your father will probably be removed from his position, it would also mean that Brad was indeed powerless to react to that b*tches advances. Men are weak. Wolves are not… and his wolf wanted no part of it… but he couldn’t get through to him.”
Ann felt Maeve’s guilt wash over her.
‘Maeve, relax. If it wasn’t the right decision, then the moon goddess would have punished us as well. There was no retribution. Perhaps this was fated…’
Maeve snarled angrily.
‘If any of this is true, Ann, I intend to rip them apart.’ ‘I know, Maeve… I know.’
Ann had been in the middle of a conference call when Adam arrived at her office. He waited patiently outside of the office until she had finished.
Eva gestured towards her office with a grin and he stood up, nodding in acknowledgment towards her, and made his way in.
Ann smiled as he entered and stifled a chuckle at the sheepish expression on his face.
“Everything okay?” she asked with her head c*oc*ked and a quizzical expression on her face.
“I was kind of abrupt this morning. I wanted to apologize. You were trying to be helpful and I was angry with you for it. I didn’t know Lexi was part Daemon.” he said finally.
Ann sighed and clasped her hands together on the desk in front of her.
“Does it matter? Lexi is not her parents, and her parents are not what history has described of either race.” Ann said tiredly.